Biscay Bay

Located approximately halfway between the towns of Portugal Cove South and Trepassey is Biscay Bay – a community situated at the mouth of an estuary historically known for its rich salmon resources. Both the community and the bay in which it is located are believed to have been named by French, Spanish and Portuguese fishermen after the Bay of Biscay (located between southwest France and northern Spain).

Inhabited primarily as a seasonal fishing station by migrant European fishers through the 16th to 18th centuries, the community of Biscay Bay was settled in earnest in the early 19th century by settlers attracted by the commercial potential of the salmon resources in the area.

While visiting the community in 1951, Leach collected songs from Mrs. Ambrose Coombs.